Presidential Television
Although it’s probably too early to make any accurate predictions one thing is clear the 2008 presidential election is shaping up to be an interesting and exciting one.
The biggest change 2008 will present over other elections in living memory is this: it will be the first post television election. That is the first election since 1948 or 1952 in which a majority of the electorate won’t be watching broadcast television on a regular basis. Instead of watching broadcast TV people are watching DVDs, watching cable playing video games, fooling around online using TVO to watch something they’ve prerecorded, watching satellite etc. The number of people who watch broadcast TV shrinks daily.
This means that the billions of dollars politicians spend on TV ads maybe going into the toilet. The people most likely to vote – the educated and affluent - are most likely to be able to afford an alternative to broadcast TV. The people least likely to vote – the uneducated and poor – are more interested in Jerry Springer than the presidential election. Just look around the only thing left on broadcast TV besides network programming in most of the US is talk shows, game shows, local news and infomercials. Anybody with an IQ of more than twelve has tuned out.
The politicians will be able to make up for some of this by advertising on cable TV provided the voters don’t use TVO to tune them out and some through internet advertising. Remember the internet is an interactive medium so the politicians will have to give the voters something interesting or a compelling reason to click on their website. Already there’s a reality show blog featuring Mitch Romney’s sons and an Obama babe expect worse. Prediction Hillary will unveil the first website accusing Barack Obama of being a child molester.
Then they’ll have to result to good old fashioned grassroots politicking, i.e. knocking on doors and kissing babies. Just as consumer goods marketers are now aping old fashioned carnival hucksters by hawking their wares in the aisles of our supermarkets and big box stores. Politicians will have to go out among the public and shill for votes.
Don’t be at all surprised if you run into a presidential candidate or a stand in for one next year at the mall, the theme park, the casino, the NASCAR race, the county fair etc. Also expect lots of media events by presidential candidates of all stripes, trying to attract media attention by doing all sorts of weird stuff. Feeding the homeless, fighting alongside the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, appearing on TV shows, dancing, singing, taking part in pro wrestling matches, appearing on reality TV.
The presidential campaign will be a bad joke the presidential candidates clowns with the moral equivalency of participants on Jack Ass. The presidency will become a complete joke and be totally powerless.
I don’t know if that would be a bad thing or not.
The biggest change 2008 will present over other elections in living memory is this: it will be the first post television election. That is the first election since 1948 or 1952 in which a majority of the electorate won’t be watching broadcast television on a regular basis. Instead of watching broadcast TV people are watching DVDs, watching cable playing video games, fooling around online using TVO to watch something they’ve prerecorded, watching satellite etc. The number of people who watch broadcast TV shrinks daily.
This means that the billions of dollars politicians spend on TV ads maybe going into the toilet. The people most likely to vote – the educated and affluent - are most likely to be able to afford an alternative to broadcast TV. The people least likely to vote – the uneducated and poor – are more interested in Jerry Springer than the presidential election. Just look around the only thing left on broadcast TV besides network programming in most of the US is talk shows, game shows, local news and infomercials. Anybody with an IQ of more than twelve has tuned out.
The politicians will be able to make up for some of this by advertising on cable TV provided the voters don’t use TVO to tune them out and some through internet advertising. Remember the internet is an interactive medium so the politicians will have to give the voters something interesting or a compelling reason to click on their website. Already there’s a reality show blog featuring Mitch Romney’s sons and an Obama babe expect worse. Prediction Hillary will unveil the first website accusing Barack Obama of being a child molester.
Then they’ll have to result to good old fashioned grassroots politicking, i.e. knocking on doors and kissing babies. Just as consumer goods marketers are now aping old fashioned carnival hucksters by hawking their wares in the aisles of our supermarkets and big box stores. Politicians will have to go out among the public and shill for votes.
Don’t be at all surprised if you run into a presidential candidate or a stand in for one next year at the mall, the theme park, the casino, the NASCAR race, the county fair etc. Also expect lots of media events by presidential candidates of all stripes, trying to attract media attention by doing all sorts of weird stuff. Feeding the homeless, fighting alongside the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, appearing on TV shows, dancing, singing, taking part in pro wrestling matches, appearing on reality TV.
The presidential campaign will be a bad joke the presidential candidates clowns with the moral equivalency of participants on Jack Ass. The presidency will become a complete joke and be totally powerless.
I don’t know if that would be a bad thing or not.
posted by great one at 9:21 AM
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